Muzzle.



J. M. MILLINER.

MUZZLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1911.

1,041,841. Patented 0011221912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. MILLINER, OF NEW HOPE, ALABAMA.

MUZZLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. MILLINER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Hope, in the county of Madison, State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Muzzles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to muzzles and has for its object to provide a muzzle that will prick the animal upon attempting to take articles into its mouth, and will be comfortable to the animal and will at the same time be held against a too tight adjustment to the animal so that constriction is prevented.

In ordinary muzzles employing nose engaging rings and throat engaging rings, one great disadvantage lies in the fact that these rings oftentimes are so tightly adjusted in tightening the muzzle to the animal as to impede the circulation in the ammals throat and head. The present invention to remedy this disadvantage and to attain this end employs open cheek and neck loops which intersect at the animals throat and are connected thereat by a rigid pin and also by inclined rigid braces, these two elements cooperating to prevent the loops conforming to the contour of the animals throat.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the muzzle applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the muzzle.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the views shown, 10 designates a cheek loop having rearwardly extending legs 11. This loop is provided on its bridge portion with spurs 12 which penetrate the animals snout upon the animal attempting to take articles into its mouth. The cheek loop is preferably formed of stifi leather or the like, and the inner face of this loop is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1911.

Patented Oct. 22,1912.

Serial No. 615,635.

rounded as shown at 18 so as to present a surface which will be comfortable to the animals snout.

The neck loop 14: is provided with downwardly extending legs 15 which intersect the cheek loop legs. This neck loop is formed similar to the cheek loop that is, is formed with a rounded inner face 16 for con tact with the animals neck. A single rigid pin 17 spans the open ends of the cheek and neck loops, and connects the legs of these loops at their intersections. The pin is preferably formed circular in cross section at its intermediate portion, and its terminal portions are reduced and threaded and equipped with retaining nuts 18 these nuts clamping the intersecting ends of the cheek and neck loops into engagement with the enlarged intermediate portion of the pin so that the distance across the open ends of both cheek and neck loops remains constant.

A pair of braces 19 are connected at their opposite ends to the legs of the cheek and neck loops. These braces are preferably formed of metal straps and when in applied position, bridge the elbows formed at the intersections of the cheek and neck loop legs. By virtue of their rigidity these braces cooperate with the pin 17 in maintaining the elbows formed at the intersection of the cheek and neck loops rigid so that these elbows will at no time conform to the animals throat and impede circulation.

It is desirable to have the meetings of the legs between both cheek and neck loops, and the meetings of the braces with these loops adjustably connect and to attain this, a plurality of openings 20 are formed at these meetings, and through any particular openings of the series, bolts 21 are passed to adjustably secure the parts together so that the muzzle may be applied to various sized animals.

WVhat is claimed, is

A muzzle comprising a cheek loop formed of a rigid flat strap, an upstanding neck loop formed of a rigid flat strap, the legs of both loops intersecting, rigid fiat straps bridging the elbows formed at the intersecclamping said legs at their intersections to 10 tions of said legs, pins passed through said said shoulders.

straps and said legs and adjustably oonneot- In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signaing the parts together, a pin bridging the ture, in presence of two Witnesses. neck and the cheek loops and terminally JAMES MILLINER passed through the intersections of the legs of said loops, said pin having stop shoulders Witnesses:

bearing against said intersections, and nuts J OHN E. COOPER, threaded on the terminals of said pin and WILLIAM M. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

